Polyurethane compositions can be diversely adjusted in chemical and physical properties by combining, as required, a polyol, a polyisocyanate, a plasticizer and another additive. They are used in various fields of soft to hard products such as an adhesive, a coating composition, a fiber, a foam, a leather, a molded article, and the like. For polyurethane compositions, phthalic esters have been used as a cheap plasticizer for a long time.
However, with regard to the phthalic esters used as a conventional plasticizer, there are suspicions that they are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and it is required to place them under stringent control as first-category specified chemical materials under Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Law (PRTR Raw).
It is therefore demanded to develop a cheap and safe plasticizer that replaces such phthalic esters.
For example, there has been-disclosed a polyester-based plasticizer as-a plasticizer that is not any phthalic ester (JP-A-H2-160890). Further, there has been disclosed the use of diacetyl monoacyl glycerol as a plasticizer (JP-A-2002-129007). Further, there has been disclosed the use, as a plasticizer, of a compound obtained by esterification of a polybasic acid and an alcohol having an ether bond (JP-A-2002-212534). However, the compositions containing such plasticizers are poor in workability after prepared.